Nigeria: Winner's Chapel Deny Killing of Pupil At School

The Winners' Chapel, owners of the Kingdom Heritage Model School, a private school in Benin City has denied killing little Miss Imiefan Omokaro, the 3-year old pupil who was found dead in one of the school toilets in November last year.

Miss Omoikhekpen Oguns, who is the counsel to the school in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Benin said that this is because no medical verdict or any other proof has proved the school's culpability in the death of the child.

The counsel was reacting to an earlier position canvassed by the parents of the late pupil, Mr and Mrs. Jolly Omokaro to the effect that their child died due to the negligence on the part of the school staff.

It will be recalled that few weeks ago Imienfan's parents said she was murdered in one of the school toilets and asked the proprietors of the school for the sum of N2billion as general damages for what they call her callous and senseless killing on November 1st 2012.

Counsel to Mr and Mrs. Jolly Omokaro who are the parents of the child, Messrs. Peter Uwadiae & Co. are making the demand in a letter dated 28th November 2012 and sent to Dr. David Oyedepo, the founder of the Winners Chapel, the church which operates the school, at its Sapele Road, Benin City branch.

The Omokaros said in the letter, that it became necessary because the administrators of the school have ignored all entreaties and means of peaceful resolution of the gruesome murder of their child having failed to attend all meetings called to fashion a way out of the quagmire.

The family in the letter also asked that the school should tender an unreserved apology for the wanton and senseless killing in three national print media, adding that they are hopeful that Dr Oyedepo's church and personality are enough to avenge for whatever step that they will be taking to seek redress.

It will be recalled that the late child under the care of two nannies and a teacher was said to have fallen into a drum of water and drowned in the toilet not too far away from her class where she went to urinate and was not discovered until about two hours later.

Sources say that when she was found lifeless by a teacher, the school authorities rather than take her to a hospital nearby decided to take her into the Winners Chapel Church, owners of the school, where pastors tried in vain, to revive her through prayers.

A late trip to the hospital confirmed that she died of asphyxiation, a development that forced the Edo State Government into suspending the operational license of the School, after this term.

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